Type Hand grenade Length 5.5 in | Weight 27 oz (770 g) | |
Place of origin United States of America Used by United States, Republic of Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, and others Wars Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War | ||
The M34 White Phosphorus Smoke Grenade or "Willie Pete" was a chemical grenade manufactured by Rocky Mountain Arsenal from the late 1950s and used by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War and was also used during the First Gulf War. The M34 WP Grenade replaced the World War II M15 WP grenade. The M34 could be fired from a rifle grenade launcher using M2-series grenade launching adapters, which the groove around the tapered base allowing the adapter arms to grasp it. The M15 could not be fired as a rifle grenade. The M34 had a segmented body to allow for a better hand grip and to identify it as a casualty-producing grenade, even though it did not fragment. The smooth-bodied M15 was sometimes assumed to be a burning type smoke grenade as the AN-M8 white smoke and resulted in injuries.
The Grenade
The M34 body steel cylinder body. It contained 15 ounces of White Phosphorus with a small bursting charge to rupture the body and dispense the WP, which would ignite when it came in contact with air. When detonated the body simply split open. The M34 used an M206A2 Fuse. Overall the grenade weighed a total of 27 ounces. The M34 could be used for target marking, screening (it created a rapidly developing smoke screen), or clearing fortifications, rooms, and other enclosures. It could not be thrown as far as fragmentation grenades owing to its weight and stray burning WP gobs and particles could be blown back on friendly troops. The body was light green with a yellow band (for containing a explosive charge), and red markings. Early grenades had a light gray body, yellow band, and black markings.